noun
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the act or an instance of seizing or the state of being seized
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pathol a sudden manifestation or recurrence of a disease, such as an epileptic convulsion
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A sudden episode of transient neurologic symptoms such as involuntary muscle movements, sensory disturbances and altered consciousness. A seizure is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, which is often diagnosed on an electroencephalogram.
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See also epilepsy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of seizure
Explanation
A seizure is the act of taking by legal process or force, such as the seizure of evidence found at the scene of a crime. A seizure is the act of seizing — a forceful action in which an object or person is suddenly taken over, grabbed, removed, or overwhelmed. It's not something you want to happen. Criminals may think the seizure of a wealthy person can bring them a fortune in ransom money. Another kind of seizure is the kind caused by a misfire of electrons in the brain, causing a loss of control of the body. It too is an unwanted taking over by force.
Vocabulary lists containing seizure
The Bill of Rights
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Out of My Mind
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Analysts said the seizure would remind China of Iran’s control over Hormuz, as Sinoguards provides armed guards for ships.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
"My wife was watching us, waiting for us to come in, and I dropped and had a seizure," he said.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
It is a dramatic turnaround for a sector that crashed to 48,000 tonnes in 2008 in the wake of a botched government land reform programme that led to the seizure of hundreds of commercial farms.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
In court Friday, Kazarian said her client suffered from an undiagnosed neurological disorder and may have experienced a seizure at the time of the collision.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
But when subjects thought that there were four others also overhearing the seizure, they came to the student’s aid only 31 percent of the time.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
